Japanese Fish Banners

Historical / Cultural Significance

In a country such as Japan many people feel a great closeness with the sea. This is because the sea not only serves as a source of livelihood, but it also serves as a model for many forms of art, including woodcuttings, paintings, clay, and fabric designs. Japan also has many ponds and streams which act as habitats for goldfish, or carp as they are commonly called. The majority of homes in Japan have pools in the gardens for raising goldfish, which has become an art form in itself. Goldfish are bred for beauty and for pleasure. They are highly prized for special colors and fancy fins and tails.

Every year on May 5, Japan celebrates a national holiday called "Children's Day." Historically, this holiday used to be called "The Boy's Festival." During this celebration, fish banners on bamboo poles are attatched to the houses of families that have boy children. The carp banners are purchased by the family on the first Children's Day after the child's birth and are flown on every festival day after that. In the Japanese culture, the carp symbolises masculinity, power, and determination.

Principles and Elements of Design

Fish banners can be painted in warm or cool colors such as red, pink, yellow, and gold, blue, purple, and grey. The elements of both shape and line are both organic, with the lines on the banner being non-linear. The form of the fish banner is definately 3-dimensional.

Technique/Methodology:

A fish banner is somewhat like a wind sock, being made of two pieces of fabric that fill out into a tube when the wind blows through. Conversely, fish banners that are made of paper are usually not flown outside because they are less durable. However, these paper fish are often found as decorations inside the home.

To make a fish banner, you will need a large piece of paper, approx. 36 inches wide. The paper is folded into a long rectangle and a fish is drawn on one side of the paper to fill up the entire side. The fish is then cut out, keeping the paper doubled. This will hopefully produce two identical fish shapes. The pieces are then staples together except for one area that should be left open so that the fish can be later stuffed with newspaper. The fish banner can now be painted. When the painting is done, lightly crumple pieces of newspaper and carefully stuff then into the fish to avoid tearing. Staple the remaining opening together and hang the figh banner by a string.

For music, students can use their fish banners as props for making actions to words in particular songs about fish. Similarly, students can also use their fish banners as props in a drama production about a Japanese folk tale or legend. For dance, students can learn a Japanese folk dance that is practiced on the Children's Festival in May.

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